Ohio Issue 1 August 8
Blame game: Issue 1 supporters pointing fingers after resounding loss
As the dust settled on election night, Republicans who led the push to restrict constitutional amendment initiatives with Issue 1 began making excuses, shifting blame and promising retribution. Instead of placing a period on a disappointing months-long campaign, they offered an ellipses — steadfastly refusing to acknowledge their effort was out of step with Ohio […]
Ohio’s Issue 1 goes down to defeat
The Republican-led effort to make amending Ohio’s constitution more difficult has failed. As of 11:45 p.m., unofficial results for the Aug. 8 special election show voters rejected Issue 1 57% to 43%. The Associated Press called the race at 9 p.m. While precincts were still reporting late into the night and absentee ballots will continue […]
Final early vote tally shows nearly 700,000 Ohioans have already voted
After nearly a year of political wrangling, Ohioans decide today whether to make it harder to both bring amendment proposals and to amend the state constitution. But many have already banked their votes. This year’s August special election — typically a sleepy, low turnout affair — has seen historic turnout already. Nearly 700,000 Ohioans cast […]
New voting locations pitch in for Ohio’s unexpected August election
On Tuesday, Ohioans head to the polls to vote on whether future constitutional amendments should face a heightened threshold for passage. But for some, the typical election day routine will look a tad different. To say Tuesday’s special election was unexpected is an understatement. Lawmakers scrapped such elections at the end of last year and […]
LaRose says “no reasonable person” is talking about banning contraceptives. But his allies are
As they push to make it a lot harder for voters to amend the Ohio Constitution, Frank LaRose and Mike Gonidakis say that no “reasonable person” is considering a ban on contraceptives. That’s false — unless they believe U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and a Republican member of the Ohio legislature aren’t reasonable people. […]
What Ohio amendments wouldn’t have passed with a 60% threshold?
Only white men would be able to enlist in the Ohio National Guard. Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland and Toledo wouldn’t have casinos. Ohio’s governor wouldn’t have term limits. Ohioans would only have the option of straight-ticket voting at the polls. These are just some of the amendments to the Ohio constitution that passed, but received less […]
Ohio counties need more poll workers for August Special Election
Twenty-three Ohio counties don’t have the minimum number of poll workers needed for Tuesday’s special election. These counties don’t have enough poll workers as of Thursday morning: Ashtabula, Clermont, Columbiana, Coshocton, Defiance, Fulton, Greene, Harrison, Highland, Huron, Jefferson, Knox, Licking, Madison, Mahoning, Marion, Montgomery, Shelby, Stark, Trumbull, Van Wert, Warren and Washington. Currently, 32,310 poll […]
How Ohio’s Issue 1 could affect the rest of the country
CLEVELAND — Ohioans over the last century have used the state’s ballot initiative process to pass constitutional amendments that raised the minimum wage, integrated the National Guard and removed the phrase “white male” from the constitution’s list of voter eligibility requirements. Now, lawmakers want to make it much tougher for an initiative to be approved. […]
Ohio Libertarians allege Secretary of State LaRose mixing Issue 1 campaign with official duty
The Libertarian Party of Ohio has filed a complaint with federal officials alleging Secretary of State Frank LaRose’s Issue 1 advocacy violates the Hatch Act. The law prohibits employees and certain officeholders from using their authority to influence the outcome of an election. The complaint argues that because LaRose’s office administers federal election funds, his […]
Early vote figures continue their tear in Ohio’s August special election
Early vote totals, already surpassing expectations, have only accelerated as the August 8 election gets closer. Voters will determine whether it should be harder to approve future constitutional amendments. Through the first seven days, about 16,000 voters showed up to cast their ballots each day. Fourteen days in, however, that average has risen to more […]
Ohio amendment to curb ‘out-of-state special interests’ gets nearly all its funding from them
Roughly $35 million has flowed to political groups aiming to influence Ohio’s August special election. That includes money for campaigns for or against the ballot measure raising the threshold for constitutional amendments, as well as several closely aligned organizations. On both sides — those opposing Issue 1, those supporting it, and those technically fighting November’s […]
Ohio Republicans and lobbyists don’t trust a majority of voters but want us to rig the game for them
Issue 1 is about powerful Republican politicians and lobbyists not trusting Ohioans. They don’t want a majority of voters to do anything they don’t like. They don’t want a majority of voters to be able to hold them accountable. And that is the only reason they are trying to rig the game with Issue 1 […]